Giants head home on sour note
Wood’s dud against Braves finishes off road trip with thud
ATLANTA » Alex Wood’s homecoming was not one to remember.
On a sweltering 94-degree day, Wood earned an early shower while making his first start since 2019 in the area he calls home in the offseason, against the organization that drafted him. With six runs in the first two innings, the Braves built up a big lead early and handed the Giants a 7-6 defeat to send them home with a
losing record on this seven-game trip.
Wood lasted six batters into the second inning; they all reached base and he was yanked without recording an out. He was tagged with six runs over one-plus innings, the shortest outing of his career besides a 2015 start that he left injured after two pitches.
“It just sucked. It’s really deflating . ... It’s just unfortunate I threw like that it front of all my family and friends,” said Wood, who had a 3.68 ERA over his past six starts entering Thursday. “I actually thought my slider was pretty good today . ... Against a lineup like that they usually make you pay.”
In a series — and a road trip — that was defined by close games, its finale teetered on a blowout.
Wood’s dud put the Giants in 7-1 hole by the end of the fourth inning. He walked two and hit two batters while also allowing six hits, including one of two home runs on the day by Dansby Swanson, raising his ERA over 5.00 for the first time this season. In the second inning, he threw 31 pitches without recording an out.
“We kind of think about that 35-pitch range in a single inning as when a guy might be running out of gas. It started to feel like it was